Google Labs has expanded on the coveted search engine’s power by providing alternative views and shortcuts to better organize and specify your search results. Here is a list of some of the new features that are being implemented with Experimental Search:

Alternate Views: List, Info View, Timeline, Map

The alternate views for search results presents 4 tabs next to the search bar that will separate information regarding your search term into specified areas, like historical events or location. Hitting the ‘list’ tab displays the search results in conventional order. The ‘info’ view allows you to specify search limits (in terms of time period, measurements, locations and images). Click on ‘timeline’ and it plots the chronological history of your search term. And the ‘map’ tab locates where your search term is or where it has been featured geographically using the conventional Google Maps satellite imagery.

These alternate views are excellent for researching a company or person as it allows you to easily track their activities over time and their placement across the globe. For example, if you wanted to research The Civil Rights Movement, you could track its development from the 1950s onward with the timeline tab and chart its geographical origins and the sites of famous marches using the map tab, fleshing out your search results.

Keyword Suggestions

This technology helps you improve your search terms as it automatically displays suggestions of what to search for based on what you have started to spell, saving you time and zeroing in on the specific terms you want.

Left-hand and Right-hand Search Navigation

This tool brings up specific areas that expand your search results in specific ways. For instance, when you search for “iPod”, the left- or right-hand navigation box (you can choose where you want to place it) will list specific search areas like “iPod support”, “iPod manual”, etc. to quickly get the results you need without scouring the through the many initial results that Google lists.

At Apollo Media, we are consistently exploring and experimenting with innovative technologies and web marketing strategies that make navigating the Internet easier and more in tune with the specific demands of the individual user. Be sure to come back to Apollo’s Blog for more updates and introductions about the ever-changing face of search engine marketing.